The Secret
by kitty of silver
Summary: Akira just wanted to train kids. What she got was a whole lot more. Not a lot of Naruto characters in the first or second chapter, sorry. Crappy summary, please R&R!
1. Mysterious

Tsunade was busy with paperwork when a soft knock came at her door. "Come in," she said without looking up. The door opened to reveal a tall, dark-skinned woman with deep brown eyes. The hokage looked up and did a double-take. _"No... It can't be...'_ Standing quickly, almost knocking her chair over, Tsunade ran around her desk to greet the woman. "Akira Misaki! It's been too long, my friend!"

Akira smiled slightly, though her expression remained tense and preoccupied. "It has been a long time, yes. But Tsunade... I have a favor to ask you." The blonde woman was a little shocked. "I haven't seen you in fifteen years... You show up unexpectedly at my door... And you ask a favor already?" Akira's nod was sharp, her intelligent eyes fixing on Tsunade's face.

After a small hesitation, the older woman nodded. "What do you need, Akira-chan?" The dark-skinned woman hesitated before answering, "I wish to train a small group of potential shinobi." Tsunade's brown eyes widened in surprise. "You... Train shinobi? But you're not even a sensei!" Akira's dark eyes flashed in anger, but it was quickly doused with a deep sadness. "I know that very well, Tsunade... You don't need to remind me. But these children are different. They haven't had a lick of training, but I could sense enourmous chakra from them. All of them."

Tsunade was reluctant, but Akira persisted. Eventually, the hokage gave in and granted permission to her friend. The joy on Akira's face made the blonde feel less guilty. "Oh, thank you Tsunade-kun! I won't dissapoint you!" After a brief, tight hug, Akira vanished.

* * *

_'There is no way I'm going to let Tsunade down!'_ Akira thought resolutely. Three teenagers stood before her. Ashita was a farmer's only son, his hair bleached silver by endless days in the sun. Muzukashii, or Kai as she wanted to be called, was a rich merchant's daughter with a stuck-up attitude to match. Yukita, however, was as stone-hearted as Ashita was humble, and as angry at the world as Kai was rich. Her long, dark brown hair covered the right side of her face, but it didn't hide the hate burning in her hazel eyes.

Akira's dark brown eyes met with Kai's ice blue ones, and she sighed to herself. Ashita's emerald eyes were wide, trying to take in everything at once. Yukita's eyes were locked on a tree across the river. _'This is gonna' be a long year...'_

Clapping her hands together to get their attention, Akira smiled at her students. "Alright, you all know why you're here! But I doubt you've all gotten to know each other!" She looked at each teenager in turn, but only Ashita's smile was genuine; Kai's was cruel, and Yukita didn't smile at all, just glared. Not allowing the angry gaze to make her falter, Akira continued. "So, I have an idea! How about you each say your name, your favorite treat, and your favorite color? Wouldn't that be a great way to get to know each other?"

Ashita went first. "I'm Ashita Ningen. Uh... I think my favorite treat is rice pudding, and I love the color green!" His smile widened excitedly, and Akira couldn't help smiling back. Kai flipped her very blonde hair over her shoulder and said in a sickly sweet voice, "I am Muzukashii Onizumi. My favorite treat is a fresh dumpling, and my favorite color is pink." Yukita muttered something, but the older woman couldn't understand her. Looking very angry at having to speak, Yukita hissed between clenched teeth, "Yukita. My last name doesn't matter to you. I don't eat sweets or anything of the sort. My favorite color..." here she grinned eviily at Kai, "...is the red of freshly spilled blood. Especially from rich merchant's daughters."

A chill ran down Akira's spine at the hazel-eyed girl's words. _'Such hatred... What in the world could've happened to this child to make her so cruel?'_ Yukita crossed her arms, a hint of the evil smile still on her pale lips. She glared at the dark-skinned woman, daring her to say something. After a moment of tense silence, Yukita smirked, turned her back to Akira, and started walking away.

~*~*~Akira's POV~*~*~

_'Poor Yukita...'_ I'd actually felt sorry for her. There was something she hid in those deep, hateful eyes... If only I could figure out what...

Yukita turned her back and started walking away, shocking me out of my thoughts. "Yukita! Do not walk away from me!" The shout was torn from my throat without thought, and I quickly bit my lip. But I was too late. She froze in place, going completely still. Kai and Ashita stared at her, then me, then at her again.

The air became deadly silent as Yukita slowly turned to face me, her hazel eyes wide with rage. "What did you say...?" She asked in a cold voice. I narrowed my eyes in return, put my hands on my hips, and stared her down. "I said, 'Do not walk away from me'." I swear I saw a flash of red as her rage became almost tangible.

It was then that Kai decided to speak. "Don't bother with her, Akira-sensei. She's just a filthy street rat. I doubt she'd know how to take orders. I mean, her father probably trained her to follow no one's orders but his." As Kai spoke, I noticed with a twinge of fear that Yukita's eyes had moved from me to the blonde student, and there was definately a red tinge to those hazel depths.

Kai either didn't notice, or just ignored her, and kept talking. "All I'm saying is she doesn't know the difference between her mother and a prostitute... Maybe that's how she was born." The blonde had foolishly turned her back to Yukita, but I saw the other girl reach into her sleeve and pull out a sharp kunai. I tried to push Kai behind me and disarm Yukita, but everything moved in a blur.

The next thing I knew, Kai's long hair was tangled in Yukita's merciless grip, the kunai pressed hard to her neck. If it wasn't for the danger of the situation, I would've laughed at the look of shock on my blonde student's face. Yukita pressed the kunai against Kai's neck, drawing blood as the red glow in her hazel eyes intensified. I stood frozen in place, not believing what had just happened. _'Oh my God...'_

Ashita broke the spell as he shouted at Yukita and hurled himself at her. She looked up at him as he flew towords her, her eyes almost completely red. Then, I swear I could see the struggle going on in her head as she fought against whatever evil had overtaken her. It seems the evil in her lost, because she put up no fight as Ashita tackled and pinned her to the ground. Kai was bawling like a baby as she scrambled to her feet and ran to cower behind me. I gently patted her shoulder and told her everything would be fine, even though I knew deep in my heart that things would never be the same.


	2. Soulmates

~*~*~Normal POV~*~*~

-two days later-

Yukita lay on the ground, exhausted. She'd just finished sparring against both Ashita and Kai, then against Akira-sensei. Before that, she'd done all aspects of physical training, from sit ups to jumprope to the agility course. Her breath came in little gasps and pants as she stared at the impossibly blue sky. Never before had she been so happy to have worked so hard.

Akira, Kai, and Ashita were all at target practice, but they knew better than to tell Yuki to join them. The brunette girl stayed where she was, then slowly sat up, brushing dust and leaves off her body. Shaking her hair, she looked up to see Akira staring at her. A blush spread across her cheeks and she quickly turned away. _What the hell is wrong with me...?_

Walking home from training, Yuki was lost in her thoughts as her legs went on autopilot. She wasn't paying any attention, but even if she had, there was little chance she would've walked away. The brunette absently tugged a strand of hair from her face and looked up. Just as she did, Akira ran straight into her, her book flying a few feet away. Yuki fell and landed on her ass, while Akira only landed on one knee. They stared at each other for a long, silent minute.

The teacher was the first to speak. "Are you alright, Yuki-chan?" Instead of being angry at the nickname, Yuki actually felt a prick of warmth. "I- I'm fine... Sensei." Now it was Akira's turn to be surprised. _This is the first time she addressed me by my title..._ Yuki climbed to her feet, then held a hand out to the other. The teacher gratefully accepted the help and got up. "Thanks. My knees aren't what they used to be. One of the downers of being old." As she bent to retrieve the book, Akira heard the younger whisper, "You're not old, Sensei... You're far too beautiful and wise, the perfect balance." The dark-skinned woman blinked and looked behind her, only to see Yuki had dissapeared. _Where did she go? ...And what did she mean by that?_

* * *

Darkness fell over Konoha early that night. The stars shone brightly in the absence of the moon. Yuki crouched on the corner of a building, her position giving her a perfect view of Akira's sleeping form. She'd waited until the teacher's bedroom light had gone out before sliding into her current position. The brunette hugged her knees to her chest and waited.

Not long after the last light in the village went out, a tall black shadow fell over the girl. She looked up at the newcomer. "You finally made it, Kai, Ashita." The huge shadow split into two seperate shadows. Kai flipped her hood back and nodded. "Wouldn't miss it. We need to feed just as much as you." Yuki smiled faintly, a rare thing with her. "Yes... I know." The boy peered at her from under his hood, his normally emerald eyes now dark red with thirst. "I hate to interrupt, but if we don't hunt soon, I'll attack Akira-sensei."

"You will not touch her!" Kai and Ashita stared at the brunette. Yuki felt her face flush at her outburst. _Why am I defending her...?_ The blonde girl knew better than to question their leader, instead pointing out at the forest. "I caught the scent of several deer not to far from the village. Let's go." Ashita tossed his cloak away, silver hair and fangs gleaming. Kai took his hand and the couple lept toward the tree. Yuki cast one last, long look at Akira-sensei, wishing she could crawl into bed with her and sleep. Sighing heavilly, the brunette followed the other two.

* * *

Akira bolted upright, cold sweat making her thin shirt stick to her. The creepy feeling that someone had been watching her sleep lingered. The woman shivered and wrapped a blanket around her shoulders, then went to the window. She stared outside and realized there was something stuck on the corner of the building across the street. Leaping through the window, she made her way to the roof and plucked a coarse brown cloak from the tiles. It smelled awful, the stench similar to rotten meat and old blood. The sensei wrinkled her nose, then started jumping over rooftops to Tsunade's apartment.

* * *

~*~Akira P.O.V.~*~

This morning, I found the three students already at the training field. They were acting strange. Yuki wasn't fighting with either Kai or Ashita. The blonde actually smiled slightly at the other girl before helping her pull kunai from a target. The silver-haired boy was raking leaves and sticks from an area on the other side of the agility course.

Curious as to what had happened to make the stop bickering, I stepped closer. All three students looked up at the same time and shouted in unison, "Good morning Sensei!" Pleasently surprised, I greeted them. "My, my... You all look very busy this morning. It's not everyday a teacher doesn't have to drag her students out of bed." They shared a quick look, then nodded a little. Yuki quickly turned away. Kai hurried to help Ashita move a fallen branch from the area he'd cleared. _What did I say?_

~*~Yuki P.O.V.~*~

_Why did she have to say that...? It's a reminder of what we are... What we can never have..._ I finished pulling kunai from the target and put them away, my reletively good mood evaporating. Ashita inched closer to me, then whispered, "I noticed you couldn't take your eyes off Akira-sensei last night. Is that why we met there instead of the forest?" I felt the urge to slap him make itself known, but I quickly swallowed it. No sense in getting into a fight when the dawn was so happy.

He looked at me, his emerald eyes unreadable. So he'd figured it out too. I wondered idly if Kai had guessed yet... Probably not. Hell, it had taken me forever to find what I was looking for myself. My eyes drifted past Ashita's weathered young face and my gaze came to rest on _her_. Akira-sensei... My breath caught when she looked at me, her eyes widening to catch me staring. Her beautiful lips tilted up in a smile and I felt my heart skip a beat.

The emerald gaze on my face burned me with its intensity. I returned my attention to Ashita, blushing with embarrasment. "S-sorry... What?" "I said, do you think Sensei has figured out what we are?" I shook my head. "We've been so careful, Shi... Nobody could've known." He nodded, and we both shared a relieved look with Kai, who understood exactly what we'd been talking about. I started to say something, but a familiar smell reached my nose.

From the look on Ashita's face, he could smell it too. I glanced at Kai. The blonde was busy talking to Akira-sensei, but her shoulders were tense. We could all smell the death sentance coming. "Kai!" She looked at me, her blue eyes wide. "Get Akira out of here!" She nodded and dragged a startled teacher towords the village. I silently begged the older woman to trust us and go. I scooped up several kunai and faced opposite of the village, towords the horrid smell. The silver-haired boy followed suit, then cast a sideways glance at me. "Are you ready?" "I hope so..."

* * *

~*~Normal P.O.V.~*~

Kai continued to drag the stubborn teacher towords the village. "What's going on?" She demanded to know. "Where are we going? Why are they staying behind?" The blonde ignored her and kept tugging her arm. In an act of desperation, Akira blurted out, "Why am I so love with Yuki?"

The sudden release on her arm had the dark-skinned woman tumbling to the ground. Kai stared down at her, her ice blue eyes glowing with some powerful emotion. Apprehenstion built up in Akira's chest as her face burned. "Wanna' know why you love her so much? It's 'cause she loves you. You two are soulmates. I would've thought you'd realize that after the first day." The teacher opened her mouth to reply, but no sound came out. _Yuki loves me...?_

The shock was written all over her face. Kai snorted in disgust. "You didn't even get that you were neglecting your own soulmate... Pathetic, real-" A scream cut the rest of the word off. Akira jumped to her feet as her heart raced. _Yuki! I'm coming!_ Before the blonde could stop her, the teacher was gone. Her footsteps echoed through the now eerily silent forest as she made her way back to the training field. Skidding to a halt, she gaped at the scene.

Four men in black coats with red clouds surrounded Yuki, two more had Ashita pinned. He was struggling wildly, trying to get free. Akira's horrified gaze snapped to Yuki. The brunette had her arms pulled away from her body by two men, while the other two repeatedly kicked and punched her. Blood ran from her nose and mouth, but she made no sound as she took the beating. The silver-haired boy shouted at them to leave her alone, but the men pinning him down slammed something against his skull. Ashita should've been knocked unconcious, but his head merely turned and a bruise immediately started forming on his jaw and ear.

Without thinking, Akira pulled out throwing stars and threw them, hitting three men in the neck and two more in the head. They all dropped where they stood. Ashita scrambled to his feet, his green eyes turning blood red. "Let her go!" The only man left standing had Yuki in a chokehold, using her as a shield. The brunette was too weak to stand on her own, powerless to fight back. The teacher came out of hiding, and their eyes met, terrified brown to solemn hazel. A feeling of certainty filled the dark-skinned woman. _"Soulmates... It is possible..."_

~*~Yuki P.O.V.~*~

_"She knows..."_ I felt it in the heart I thought no one could touch. I absently licked at the blood running down my face from my nose. It wasn't as good as human blood, but it still sent a quick burst of energy through me. The blood, plus the satisfying knowledge that Akira had accepted me, gave me strength that I have never known.

With a vicious cry, I spun and slashed open the man's belly, hot red liquid spraying all over me. He went down, his mouth open in a silent scream of shock and agony. I bearly heard Akira's strangled gasp as she fainted, nor did I notice Ashita running to catch her before she hit the ground. All I could focus on was the river of fresh blood pouring from the human's body. Fangs extending, I swooped down on him and drained the last of his blood.

After a while, I sat back on my heels and sniffed the air. Only after the haze in my mind had cleared did I sense that the trees had become silent. Something was coming... But what? An expertly thrown kunai whizzed past me, slicing my arm. I gasped and clutched my wounded arm to my side. "Ashita! Ninjas!" He quickly laid Akira on the ground, but he was still gentle with her. With _my_ soulmate.

The ninjas were getting closer. I kissed my soulmate's soft lips, then we vampires dissapeared into the shadows under the trees. Kai was waiting. She saw the blood on me, then the tears in my eyes. She reached out and clasped her hand with mine. "We'll come back... Sooner than you think." I nodded once, then the three of us vanished into darkness.

* * *

End of chapter 2! I promise I'll put actual Naruto characters in the next few chapters, just bear with me! Thanks to all the people who have stuck with me so far. R&R please!


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